1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data communication apparatus and a method for performing a data communication with a partner""s device, and more particularly to a data communication apparatus connected to an another terminal device and to a data communication method performed between the data communication apparatus and the another terminal device.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, as a data communication apparatus for performing a data communication, a facsimile apparatus has been widely known. In a conventional facsimile apparatus, a transmission side facsimile apparatus encodes bit-mapped image data, which is obtained by reading an original image, by a predetermined method (for example, MH or MR method), thereafter performing a transmission. A reception side facsimile apparatus decodes encoded data, which is received from the transmission side, to a bit-map image. The above-mentioned facsimile apparatus can not perform a communication using code data such as text data or the like formed in an information processing terminal, e.g., a personal computer or the like. Even if the code data has been received, it has not been possible to obtain bit-mapped image data at the reception side facsimile apparatus.
However, in recent years, the following system has been proposed. That is, the information processing terminal which can process code data is connected to the facsimile apparatus for transferring the code data received by the facsimile apparatus to the information processing terminal, thereby enabling to decode the received data in the information processing terminal as the bit-mapped image data.
Further, the following system has been also proposed. That is, the facsimile apparatus is connected to a LAN (local area network) for receiving data transmitted from the transmission side together with a terminal designation, so as to transfer it to a designated terminal on the LAN or to a terminal which is previously designated at the reception side.
However, conventionally, in a case where the terminal is not operated, since a power of the terminal, which is connected to the facsimile apparatus and receives reception data, is turned off, there occurs such a problem as the facsimile apparatus has to refuse to receive data transmitted from the transmission side or has to accumulate the data in a memory.
An object of the present invention is to provide a data communication apparatus and a method which can eliminate the above-mentioned problem.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data communication apparatus and a method which can transfer data even if a terminal, which has to transfer received data, is not operated.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a data communication apparatus and a method which can efficiently process received data.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a data communication apparatus and a method which can properly initiate a terminal to which received data is transferred.